“My foot caught; the floor seemed to give way under me. Ah, of course—” she bent down in the darkness—“I saw the men oiling it this morning.”
Wrayford caught her by the arm. “Do take care! It might be dangerous if it slid too easily. The water’s deep under here.”
“Yes; the water’s very deep. I sometimes wish—” She leaned against him without finishing her sentence, and he put both arms about her.
“Hush!” he said, his lips on hers.
Suddenly she threw her head back and seemed to listen.
“What’s the matter? What do you hear?”
“I don’t know.” He felt her trembling. “I’m not sure this place is as safe as it used to be—”
Wrayford held her to him reassuringly. “But the boatman sleeps down at the village; and who else should come here at this hour?”
“Cobham might. He thinks of nothing but the launch.’”
“He won’t to-night. I told him I’d seen the skipper put her shipshape, and that satisfied him.”